Three Senate Democrats are raising alarms about the Pentagon's growing influence over Stars and Stripes, the independent military newspaper, following the abrupt departure of its longtime publisher.
In a letter sent Thursday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) demanded a detailed explanation of the Pentagon's recent appointment of an active-duty Navy captain to a senior editorial role at the paper, arguing that the move threatens the publication's editorial independence.
The senators' letter comes after Stars and Stripes announced that publisher Max Lederer will retire at the end of next month. Lederer said his decision was driven by “fundamental” disagreements with the Defense Department's vision for the paper, noting that the Pentagon appointed Navy Capt. William Urban as his deputy without consulting him.
“Mr. Lederer's abrupt departure only heightens those concerns, particularly as the Department determines who will assume leadership of Stars and Stripes,” the senators wrote. They requested that Hegseth provide by Aug. 28 a detailed explanation of Urban's appointment and the safeguards in place to ensure that no Defense Department official can “direct, influence, review, or interfere with Stars and Stripes' editorial decisions or coverage.”
The Pentagon has not yet responded to the letter or to requests for comment from The Hill.
This is the latest chapter in the Pentagon's broader effort to reshape the military newspaper's coverage. In March, the department issued new guidelines requiring Stars and Stripes content to be “consistent with good order and discipline of the military.” Earlier, in January, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the outlet would be “refocused” away from “woke distractions that siphon morale.”
Lederer, who has led Stars and Stripes since 2016, told the paper that he was not aligned with “the pace and the direction” of the department's goals. “I think the right step is for me to step down, get out of the way, and let different leadership step in and continue to make this the great organization that it is, even better,” he said.
The senators, all members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, are demanding transparency about how the Pentagon intends to preserve the paper's editorial independence. Their inquiry adds to growing scrutiny of the administration's handling of military media, with other lawmakers pressing the Pentagon on related issues.
As the Pentagon moves to install its own leadership at Stars and Stripes, the paper's future role as an independent voice for service members remains uncertain. The senators' letter underscores the tension between military discipline and press freedom, a debate that echoes broader concerns about democratic institutions.
